Italy Hold Back 13th Ukraine Arms Package Ahead of US Midterms
The 13th package is drafted but still lacks final sign-off, the newspaper said, citing government sources. Italy’s last shipment to Ukraine went out in December, according to the report.
Rome had given French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky its word that the package would be cleared by October, with missiles arriving before the month ended. As of Monday evening, however, the parliamentary committee that oversees the intelligence services, known as Copasir, had not met to review the decree.
The package contains Aster 30 air defense missiles, which Ukraine has requested to shield Kyiv and other cities from Russian attacks.
The decree needs signatures from three ministers: Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti. Crosetto and Tajani back approval, while some government sources suggested Giorgetti is hesitating over possible resistance from League leader Matteo Salvini, the report said.
The last word belongs to Meloni, and Crosetto had privately cautioned that a political obstacle remained to be cleared.
The timeline has already slipped repeatedly, moving from July to September and then to the period after the League’s party congress. Government sources now prefer to wait until next Tuesday’s US midterms to gauge Washington’s likely course and adjust Italy’s stance accordingly.
Domestic politics are also feeding the delay, including opposition to arms deliveries from former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and worries about handing political momentum to Roberto Vannacci.
Italian officials have informally urged their Ukrainian counterparts to be patient, according to the report.
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